Cylinder for revolvers

ABSTRACT

A preassembled revolver cylinder having preloaded projectile and propellant packages.

11116 Staes laid cm 116, 11973 [5 (:YLINDER Mm REVULVIE 3,217,44111/1965 Kerr 42/59 3,280,495 10/1966 L 42 59 7 I n Melvm 1 q an3,453,763 7/1969 B31 21 a1 42/59 [73] Assignee: C011 EndusfiriesOperating Corp, 457,653 8/1891 McCarthy 102/38 Hartford, C(Jnn. 634,82610/1899 Masini 102/38 3,437,039 4/1969 Hawthorne 102/38 [22] 2,382,6768/1945 Swartz 42/62 211 App! uw gg 3,598,052 8/1971 Schwartz... 102/383,129,664 4/1964 Reed 102/38 317,965 5/1885 Boland 1 42/62 [52] US. Cl.92/69, 42/59 ,262 2/1969 Kincheloe 102/38 [51] 1111. C1 F42!) 39/04,F41; l/OO, F410 25/00 [58] Field of Search 12/89, 62, 59; PrimaryExaminerBer1jamin A. Borchelt 102/38 Assistant Exz zmineF-C. T. JordanAttorney1Prutzman, Hayes, Kalb & Chilton [56] References 1131111611UN1TED STATES PATENTS [57] AJBSTRAQT 109,914 12/1870 L1ndb6l'g et a1.42/59 A preassembled revolver cylinder having preloaded 2,082,288 6/193711111 16141 42/59 projectile and propellant packages, 2,790,353 4/1957Bird 42/59 2,830,398 4/1958 Donohue 42/59 3 Chums, 3 Drawnnng Figures mm[ED w 1 61m INVENTOR MELVIN -ZAl D wfwwm/zwn ATTORNEYS CYLINDER sonREVOLVERS This invention generally relates to revolvers and particularlyconcerns revolver cylinders.

A primary object of this invention is to provide an improved cylinderfor revolvers facilitating rapid loading and reloading.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved revolvercylinder which is of simplified, rugged, low cost construction and whichis disposable.

A further object of this invention is the provision of an improvedprojectile system for revolvers particularly suited to providepreselected revolver loads as well as quick and easy changes in revolverloads.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out more indetail hereinafter.

A better understanding of the objects, advantages, features, propertiesand relationships of theinvention will be obtained from the followingdetailed description and accompanying drawing which sets forth certainillustrative embodiments and is indicative of the various ways in whichthe principle of the invention is employed.

In the drawing:

FIG. l is a schematic view showing a revolver usable with a cylinder ofthis invention shown in disassembled relation to the revolver;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross sectional view of a preferredembodimentof a revolver cylinder of this invention; and

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal cross sectional view, partly broken away,showing an alternative cylinder embodiment of this invention.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, a revolver type hand gun isshown of conventional construction having a barrel secured to a frame 12provided with a grip 14. A crane 16 is pivotally mounted in the usualmanner in the frame 12 so that a cylinder arm 18 of the crane 16 may beswung outwardly to open position, as illustrated in FIG. 1, from aclosed position, not shown, wherein the arm 18 is positioned within acylinder opening 20 in frame 12 in parallel relation to bore 22 of thebarrel 10.

To load and unload the revolver, a cylinder bearing pin 24 is retractedagainst a spring bias by manually actuating a latch 26, permittingcylinder arm lid to be bodily displaced angularly about the pivotal axisX-X of the crane 16 from its closed position to its illustrated openposition. A cylinder, such as shown at 30 and described more fullybelow, is attachable to the arm 18. Upon swinging arm 18 and cylinder 30into closed position, the spring biased bearing. pin 24 automaticallymoves into operative position to support the cylinder for rotarymovement. Each cylinder chamber 32 is individually maintained in coaxialalignment with the barrel bore 22 by cylinder stop 34 which seats withineach of a series of cylinder locking cuts such as at 36 which in turncorrespond in number to the cylinder chambers 32 in a standard fashion.

The frame 12 has a trigger guard 38 within which is positioned a trigger40. Trigger movement may be used to operate a conventional firingmechanism, not shown, serves to disengage the cylinder stop 34 and toadvance a cylinder ratchet actuating pawl 42 to index each chamber 32 inturn into alignment with the barrel bore 22, as determined by subsequentseating of the stop 34 within the corresponding locking cut 36, and tocock a hammer Ml. Dropping of the hammer Ml responsive to a finaltrigger movement actuates a firing pin, not shown, normally containedwithin a recoil plate 46 of the frame 12 to fire the revolver in awell-known manner, whereupon the cylinder may again be advanced tocondition the next unfired round to be fired.

To facilitate rapid loading and reloading of the revolver whileadditionally permitting use of cylinders having a variety of preloadedammunition, conventional cylinders which are normally secured to the arm11% in locked assembly are dispensed with in accordance with thisinvention and a preassembled combination cylinder and ammunition pack 30is provided which is suited to be removably mounted on the revolvercrane lb. While the preassembled cylinder and ammunition pack 3th ofthis invention may be provided in a reloadable standard metal cylindermodified for quick and easy mounting and removal relative to the cranelid to permit use of cylinders having, e.g., a variety of preloadedcartridges, the preferred embodiment of this invention is describedutilizing a disposable cylinder body 52 which in itself serves as acartridge case.

More specifically, cylinder body 52 shown in FIG. 2 is provided withdifferent projectile/propellant loads although it will be understoodthat each cylinder chamber such as at 54A and 54m may be provided withthe same load. The term projectile" is intended to mean any body orsubstance which is received in a cylinder chamber to be expelled uponfiring the revolver. The cylinder chambers are formed in a symmetricalcircular arrangement about a major axis YY of the cylinder body 52 andextend from their respective forward open ends rearwardly in parallelrelation to the major cylinder axis Y-Y. Cylinder body 52 may be formedby casting, molding and/or machining a relatively inexpensive, tough,impact resistant, form-sustaining material.

In this regard, materials such as nylon or Delrin" have been foundsatisfactory in providing a high strength, lightweight, durable unitsuitable for storage under extreme climatic conditions while beingimmediately serviceable when removed from storage and requiring nolubrication for smooth and quiet rotary movement on the cylinder arm Ml.

A metal reinforcing sleeve 56 is shown fixed in place within chamber54A. A standard bullet 52 is shown fixed within the open end of thesleeve 56, and a propellant compartment fill is formed rearwardly ofbullet 58 which defines a closure for the compartment 60. The latter isshown partially filled with a standard propellant or powder charge 62. Aprimer 64 is located centrally of the rear wall 66 of the sleeve 56which is apertured to communicate with an ignition passageway 68 leadingto a recess 7b in the rear face of the cylinder 52 receiving the primer64. The primer 64 is shown having a closure 71 separating the primercharge from the open ignition passageway 68 leading to the propellantcompartment 60. Primer 64 may be of any conventional percussionsensitive type which, upon being struck by a firing pin (not shown)detonates, and the shock wave and flame discharge forwardly throughpassageway 68 to ignite propellant 62 to expel bullet 58 from cylinder52 and through bore 22 of barrel w.

Chamber MB in FIG. 2 is shown having a limited lethality projectile 72formed, e.g., of wax and seated within the cylinder chamber, and apropellant 74 and primer '76 are received respectively within acompartment 78 and recess fill. The latter communicates with compartment78 through an ignition passageway 82 of substantially the sameconfiguration and appearance as that described above in-connection withcylinder chamber 54A.

Mounted on a rear wall of the disposable cylinder 52 is a pawl actuatedratchet 84 having a forwardly projecting, double diameter mountingportion 86 received in a counterbored opening 88 located rearwardly ofan axially extending crane receiving opening 90 which terminates in aprojecting annular abutment 92.

Abutment 92 provides seating engagement against a radial stop orshoulder 9 formed on cylinder arm 18 of the crane 16 upon fitting thepreassembled cylinder and ammunition pack 30 over the crane 16 in openposition during loading of the revolver. The crane 16 may then be swungtoward closed position, and the cylinder and ammunition pack 30 issnapped into operative position within cylinder opening 20 when thespring biased bearing pin 24 automatically moves into bearing engagementwith the cylinder ratchet 8 3 to support it for rotary movementresponsive to actuation of the ratchet hand 42 in a well-known manner tocondition the revolver for a firing operation.

In the embodiment of FIG. 3, a one-piece insert 96 containing apreloaded projectile and propellant package of the above-described typeis shown. The insert 96 is particularly suited to be incorporated withina cylinder chamber 54C of a molded plastic cylinder body 52'. A rearneck portion 98 of reduced diameter is illustrated as being formed onthe insert 96 for effectively precluding undesired relative movementbetween the insert 96 and the surrounding plastic cylinder body 52'. Theinsert 96 provides an integral preloaded projectile and propellantpackage in which a primer 100 and ignition passageway 102 are integrallyincorporated within the body of the insert 96 behind the propellantcompartment 104, the forward end of which is defined by the rear wallofa projectile 106. The projectile R06 is shown to be that of a standardround fitted within the forward open end of the insert 96 which may beformed of any suitable metal or similar high strength reinforcingmaterial.

Depending on the application for which this invention is intended to beused, it may be desired to preclude any reuse of a cylinder. Inaccordance with still another feature of this invention, portions of thecylinder body 52 or liners such as at 56 or 96 serving as the cartridgecasing may be made of deformable material which, upon firing of aprojectile from a cylinder chamber, will undergo defonnation. in thisregard, the insert 96 in FIG. 3 could be configured and dimensionedrelative to the projectile 106 to result in expansion of the insert 96by the projectile 1106 upon its being discharged from the chamberwhereby reuse of the cylinder 52' would be precluded. Should no liner berequired for use with a projectile, such as a limited lethality plasterbullet, tear gas powder, etc., portions of the cylinder body surroundingone of the chambers may be made of reduced thickness to form a weakenedsurrounding wall portion which becomes distorted or ruptured upon firingof the projectile within its chamber to ensure that the cylinder is usedonly once. It is to be understood that should any chamber surroundingmaterial be fractured or ruptured upon firing of a projectile, such achange in form is considered to be deformation.

By virtue of the above-described construction, a preloaded cylinder isprovided particularly suited for low cost mass production manufactureand which is quickly and easily installed in and removed from a cylinderopening of both new and existing standard revolver frames. Thedisposable ammunition/cylinder packs of this invention may be providedin a variety of loads for throwaway after a single use, with standardand/or special purpose ammunition. While cylinder chamber liners may beused as illustrated for certain standard and magnum loads, even theseliners may be eliminated for certain loads through use of high strengthplastic with suitable reinforcing materials such as fiberglass and thelike. The disclosed self-contained ammunition/cylinder packs may besupplied at economical consumer cost which when coupled with thesignificantly increased ease and speed of loading and reloading,provides for a wide variety of weapon and projectile concepts fordifferent applications.

As will be apparent to persons skilled in the art, variousmodifications, adaptations and variations of the foregoing specificdisclosure can be made without departing from the teachings of thepresent invention.

1 claim:

ll. A self-contained disposable revolver cylinder removably attachablefor rotation on a cylinder arm of a revolver crane and comprising apreassembled combination cylinder and ammunition pack including acylinder body having a crane receiving central opening extendinglongitudinally of the cylinder coincident with its major axis and aplurality of cylinder chambers in radially spaced angularly disposedrelation about the crane receiving central opening, the cylinder bodybeing formed of a tough, impact resistant, formsustaining plastic, eachof the cylinder chambers being formed in the plastic cylinder body anddefined by an exposed generally cylindrical interior plastic wallsurrounding each chamber, and a preloaded projectile and propellantpackage received in assembled relation within each of the cylinderchambers with the plastic cylinder body itself serving as a cartridgecasing for each preloaded projectile and propellant package, whereby thepreassembled combination cylinder and ammunition pack provides forthrow-away disposal after single use.

2. The disposable cylinder of claim 1 wherein the preloaded projectileand propellant package received in each cylinder chamber includes abullet positioned within a forwardly opening end of the chamber, aprimer closing a rear end of the chamber, the bullet and primer jointlydefining end closures for a compartment therebetween, and a combustiblepropellant within the compartment ignitable upon detonation of theprimer, the primer having a portion exposed adjacent a rear wall of thecylinder for percussion detonation.

3. A disposable cylinder for revolvers comprising a cylinder body havinga plurality of cylinder chambers, and a preloaded projectile andpropellant package received in each of the cylinder chambers with thecylinder body itself serving as a cartridge casing for each preloadedprojectile and propellant package, the preloaded projectile andpropellant package received in one cylinder chamber further including asleeve providing a reinforcing tubular liner therefor, the reinforcingtubular liner being formed with a peripheral portion of reduced size inintimate engagement with the surrounding cylinder body for precludingunintended displace ment of the liner relative thereto.

19 It: t 4 v

1. A self-contained disposable revolver cylinder removably attachablefor rotation on a cylinder arm of a revolver crane and comprising apreassembled combination cylinder and ammunition pack including acylinder body having a crane receiving central opening extendinglongitudinally of the cylinder coincident with its major axis and aplurality of cylinder chambers in radially spaced angularly disposedrelation about the crane receiving central opening, the cylinder bodybeing formed of a tough, impact resistant, form-sustaining plastic, eachof the cylinder chambers being formed in the plastic cylinder body anddefined by an exposed generally cylindrical interior plastic wallsurrounding each chamber, and a preloaded projectile and propellantpackage received in assembled relation within each of the cylinderchambers with the plastic cylinder body itself serving as a cartridgecasing for each preloaded projectile and propellant package, whereby thepreassembled combination cylinder and ammunition pack provides forthrow-away disposal after single use.
 2. The disposable cylinder ofclaim 1 wherein the preloaded projectile and propellant package receivedin each cylinder chamber includes a bullet positioned within a forwardlyopening end of the chamber, a primer closing a rear end of the chamber,the bullet and primer jointly defining end closures for a compartmenttherebetween, and a combustible propellant within the compartmentignitable upon detonation of the primer, the primer having a portionexposed adjacent a rear wall of the cylinder for percussion detonation.3. A disposable cylinder for revolvers comprising a cylinder body havinga plurality of cylinder chambers, and a preloaded projectile andpropellant package received in each of the cylinder chambers with thecylinder body itself serving as a cartridge casing for each preloadedprojectile and propellant package, the preloaded projectile andpropellant package received in one cylinder chamber further including asleeve providing a reinforcing tubular liner therefor, the reinforcingtubular liner being formed with a peripheral portion of reduced size inintimate engagement with the surrounding cylinder body for precludingunintended displacement of the liner relative thereto.